Difference Between PIO and OCI

Here are some major differences between PIO and OCI as mentioned below:

PIO vs. OCI
Aspects	OCI or Overseas Citizen of India	PIO or Person of Indian Origin
Application Place	CKGS is the Application Center in the jurisdiction of the applicant.	CKGS is the Application Center in the jurisdiction of the applicant.
Indian Visa Requirement	There is no such requirement.	There is no such requirement.
Visa Validity	Lifelong validity once it is issued.	Valid for a long 15 years once it is issued.
Entry In India	Individuals are allowed to enter India for any reason throughout their lifetime. They do not have any restriction on their number of entries or duration of stay in the country.	Individuals can enter India after 15 years from their PIO Card’s issuance date. If they stay for more than 180 days in India, they have to register with the nearest FRRO/FRO.
Registration in FRO/FRRO	Not required. Irrespective of the period of stay.	Need to be updated after 180 days. After 180 days, an additional 30 days are provided.
Fees	₹1,400 for re-issuance and ₹5,500 for issuance of duplicate.	₹15,000 for adults, ₹7500 for children up to 18 years of age.

PIO and OCI – Full Form, Meaning and Difference

PIO and OCI both are legal terms that are generally used for foreign citizens of Indian origin. A PIO is a person who was an Indian citizen on 26th January 1950 or later or was an eligible person to become a citizen of India on 26th January 1950. On the other side, an OCI is a person who is registered as an Overseas Citizen of India.

In this article, we are going to learn PIO and OCI in detail and their major differences.

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